Karlin Lillington
Karlin Lillington columns
Facial recognition: We’re tilting alarmingly towards normalising sneakier mass surveillance
We have yet to be given clear reasons why we need facial recognition technology even though a Bill relating to it is meandering through our political process
GDPR isn’t the problem, Big Tech and governments are the issue
Too many vested interests have undermined the effectiveness of the EU’s key data protection law
EU making ill-judged move towards mass digital surveillance
Step intended to combat child sexual abuse online has been widely condemned as ineffective and in breach of fundamental rights
How Fran Rooney helped pave the path to iMessage and online banking
When the US president Bill Clinton used Baltimore Technologies ‘strong encryption’ service, it opened the way to much wider use of the technology
Eurovision saw a collision of vintage operating systems and trashy Europop
Finland’s Eurovision Song Contest entry Windows95man′s hard drive issues entertain
Say goodbye to your passwords and start using passkeys
Passkeys are more secure but tech firms are doing little to encourage us to use them
Google somewhat two-faced on workplace politics
Tech giant firing staff for political protest is among the biggest lobbyists of government and not averse to very ‘political’ business
Is Ireland a sleepy back door providing China with access to global DNA banks?
US intelligence agencies raise flags over WuXi and its links with Chinese government and national security
Filterworld and Code Dependent: potentially devastating outcomes of algorithmic technology
Filterworld by Kyle Chayka; Code Dependent by Madhumita Murgia
Flying taxis are a fantasy distracting from real transport solutions
Plans for air taxis are either impractical or likely to be prohibitively expensive for all but the very rich, or both
Truth Social valued on virtual hot air, not fundamentals
Donald Trump’s social media network is trading at valuations that make some of the most successful listed businesses in history look pedestrian
UK entrepreneur Mike Lynch on trial for what prosecutors say is ‘largest fraud in history’ of Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley has not changed that much since Mike Lynch was in his pomp
Europe’s AI Act is a ‘decent start’ but is it workable?
Watered down legislation still puts Europe ahead on regulating AI but enforcement could be held back by technological gaps
Apple’s €1.8bn EU fine may be just the start of reining in Big Tech
While other firms have been caught in the bloc’s regulatory crosshairs, the iPhone maker had broadly escaped until now
Coimisiún na Meán has its work cut out with new EU Digital Services Act
Ireland has an opportunity to be the Digital Services Act’s model regulator. But some chances have already been squandered
Stepping back into the refreshingly free world of Linux
Though generally targeting enthusiasts on personal laptops, the operating system dominates the enterprise market
Facebook feels like it has been around forever, and it has in internet time
We need to prevent our online future from concentrating further into the hands of a few billionaires and their mega-companies
Age verification won’t stop children accessing porn online
Current technology won’t accomplish Coimisiún na Meán’s ‘gold standard’ proposals to verify users accessing inappropriate internet content
New broadcasting and online regulator has not had an auspicious start
Karlin Lillington: The strange hybrid Coimisiún na Meán faces great challenges and one mooted porn registry idea is mega-scale bonkers
Happy 40th birthday to the one computer I love
Apple’s Mac has been around since 1984, and is still getting better
I’m now a born-again gamer, and loving it
My generation didn’t grow up with games involving microchips, a likely factor. And I was like a lot of girls and women in disliking the majority of titles
Focus on toxic algorithms vital to regulate Big Tech in meaningful way
EU and other regulators must realise that fines by themselves are no deterrent to X and other firms
We are rushing to a new AI-driven world without vital regulation
Tech advances are nearing a crisis point, with big implications for how we live our day-to-day lives
Why are so many US tech-based services so crappy?
Dare to use a toll road or cross a bridge in a rental car in California or Illinois, and you are on the highway to hell
OpenAI debacle illustrates tensions between profit and not-for-profit which bedevil Silicon Valley
In the current AI regulatory vacuum, an enormous balance of AI power seems to be tilting towards Microsoft
Russia now wielding AI tools in online disinformation wars
Karlin Lillington: US expert argues for tighter controls and end lax containment efforts
Ireland is not welcoming to whistleblowers. Why?
One whistleblower’s experience of official Ireland does not bode well for protected disclosures generally
Karlin Lillington: Exploring seductive art through bewitching technology
Head bowed low in apology, the timeless Silver Swan continues to inspire as that enchanting example of precision engineering, creativity and robotics
Paddy Cosgrave’s undoing exposes Web Summit’s glaring contradictions
Condemning governments on human rights grounds while running event filled with companies that enable serious abuses smacks of hypocrisy
American antitrust case against Google could change everything
The US Justice Department’s antitrust trial against Google will, whatever the outcome, influence the future of technology in ways we cannot yet imagine
Getting your DNA tested can have disturbing results
Karlin Lillington: Data breach at 23andMe highlights need for regulation as genetic background and other information hacked and offered for sale
The future for mobile phones is here, and Ireland needs to get on board
Using an eSim is straightforward overseas, it should be the same in Ireland
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